Department of Building Inspection Customer Communication

Dear Customers,

Last month, new voter-approved ethics rules went into effect prohibiting all City employees from accepting gifts from anyone doing business, or seeking to do business, with the City.

At the Department of Building Inspection (DBI), that means our employees cannot accept gifts from current or potential permit applicants or holders, including contractors, architects, engineers, and property owners. We are also prohibited from accepting gifts from department vendors and permit consultants who have done business with DBI in the past 12 months.

The prohibition includes gifts of food or drink to be shared in the office, gifts from long-time friends, and birthday or holiday gifts. Routine courtesies of $25 or less (such as pens, notepads, coffee, water or bagels) at a place of business are okay, but free alcohol is not allowed.

Bottom line: Please do not send gifts to staff or the department as we will have to return them to you. For more details about the City's gift prohibition and policies, please visit the SF Ethics Commission's Prop. D webpage.

Now, those of you who follow DBI's social media (X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) may have noticed new videos highlighting interesting building projects and staff members.

Our latest videopromotes a job opening for a building inspector and offers a "day in the life" of a building inspector. Past videos have showcased construction progress at a new housing development at 22 Johnson Street on Treasure Island and a new affordable housing development at 2250 Irving Street in the Sunset.

Check them out and be sure to like our pages so you can tune into future videos!

In other online news, we've created a webpage for job openings at DBI: sf.gov/dbi-careers. Please encourage your job-seeking friends to check the webpage often for new opportunities!

Finally, the National Weather Service is forecasting significant rain in San Francisco starting on Wednesday and continuing through Sunday. We encourage you to take some basic precautions to keep your building, and the people on the sidewalks below, safe in high winds and stormy weather.

Before a storm

• Close and latch any operable windows, and remind your tenants to take this simple but important step.
• Remove all loose or unsecured objects from balconies, roofs, or other outside areas. Outdoor furniture may be especially vulnerable to the high winds.
• If you see any cracks or signs of distress around a window, contact building management to help secure the opening.
• If construction work is happening at a building, ensure that scaffolding, construction equipment, and materials are secured on roofs and outside areas.

During a storm

• DBI has a team of 24/7 on-call inspectors prepared to immediately respond to building-related incidents during storm events.
• If you see something of concern about a building, call 911 if it's an emergency or if there's an injury.
• Otherwise, file a report at 311, and DBI will send an inspector to investigate.

Thank you for your support and partnership. And let's be safe out there.

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